government pilots flew over the stronghold and dropped their bombs. they killed at least 30 people. the pilots carried out the air strike on wednesday near the turkish border. members of the opposition say they target a residential area destroying houses and other buildings. it was the first by the military since late last month when opposition forces took control of the town. >> survivors took many of the wounded across the border to a metropolitan in turkey only 10 kilometers away. that you are using guerrilla attacks to aack government potion in damascus and they took the fight to towns and cities across the country. police in japan have arrested 14 activists from hong kong on allegations they illegally entered japanese

territory. the case involves the senkaku islands. japan considers it part of okinawa. china and taiwan both claim it as their own. coast guard spokespersons say the activists approached in a fishing boat. seven jped off t vselnd made their way to the islands. two activists soon returned to the boat. coast guard personnel and the police questioned the five who remained on the island. then they arrested all the activists. police plan to transfer the group to their headquarters in okinawa for further questioning. the both left hong kong on sunday. it entered japanese waters on wednesday despite repeated warnings from coast guard patrol vessels. the boat carried a banner saying china cannot give up an inch of its territory. in 2010 a chinese trawler collided with two japanese patrol boats.

research ships, fisheries, patrol boats and other vessels from china have frequently entered japan's territory waters since then. japan's top government spokesperson calls the incident regrettable. >> translator: we will strictly monitor the situation and do what is necessary in line with our country's allaws. they are inherent japanese territory both historically and according to international legislation. the islands are japan, and there are no territorial issues related to them. >> in 2004 another group of chinese activists land on the island. they were also arrested on charges of illegal entry and deported. the japanese government is considering treating the 14 activists in the same way. it will make a final decision following an investigation by police and the coast guard. the chinese government responded swiftly to the arrests. the vice foreign minister held

telephone talks with japan's parliamentary senior vice for her rin minister. she said the arrests were illegal since the islands are chinese territory. chinese citizens have been busy posting messages on the internet. they're demanding that the government take stronger measures against japan. analysts say the chinese government will seek an early settlement of the issue. they say it wants to maintain stable relations with japan before a major party leadership reshuffle scheduled thisall. japan has territorial problems with south korea as well. it's starting to overshadow business. japanese credit card companies announced it will postpone the start of new services in south

korea. the firm canceled a press conference scheduled for next week in seoul to mark the launch of the new business. the company had plaed to bin the issncef prepaid cards for up japanese travelers in south korea next month. the recent strained relations between japan and south korea are believed to be behind the postponement. bilateral tension began after south korean president bak made a sudden visit to a group of disputed islands in the sea of japan last friday. the islands are claimed by both countries. japan is to help mnmar draw up rules for trading financial products. that's in the run-up to the establishment of a stock market. it's ahead of expected growth in myanmar's economy as they move towards a full-fledged democracy. the government of myanmar plans to set it up by the end of 2015.

the tokyo stock exchange and diwa security groups of japan give assistance. japan's finance minister has signed a deal with myanmar's central bank. japan wants to help myanmar establish new legislation to prevent insider trading and other financial fraud and ov oversee brokage activities of securities firms. the japanese government says a panel of financial experts will provide advice to myanmar. it also plans to invite myanmar officials to a training seminar in japan in autumn. eight groups aaid groups arg for better ways to help people in need. a third of the population is living in poverty.tter ways toe need. a third of the population is living in poverty. members are tackling the problem by inviting businesses to play a key role in development projects. the website shows items it

delivers in the developing world including solar lights and cooking stoves. private sector companies or research institutions design them. their goal is to provide innovative solutions to improve lives. nhk world spoke to the co-founder about his strategy for helping people and getting g bunesso pitch . >> he has worked more than ten years at the united nations providing support for developing nations. he felt that imitations of trade methods. >> it's a community of the u.n. bureaucrats and diplomats who were the donors and the government officials from the developing countries. these three groups get together and then have meetings in fancy hotels in citalities ary to discuss these poverty issues. it's very difficult to reach the

poorest of the poor through this traditional mechanism. so we decided to focus directly on the household level. >> there are many issues facing the poorest of the poor. for example, water. women and children are burdened with collecting water many times a day. as a solution, he's distributing a unique drum. this doughnut shaped plastic container can carry 50 liters of water at a time. even a child can pull it. it was invented by a south african based company. kopernik brings together three parties. using money from donors they push goods from companies to sell them to people in need. how can companies make a profit when poor people have so little to spend? >> we mobilize funds, which is

donations, and using those funds and we purchase these technologies and deliver them to the local communities. they will still pay for this product, but the price is determined by their readiness and willingness to pay to these products. so we -- from the company side it's a legitimate business because we are purchasing the technologies at the price that they want. >> he says people in poor communities also have an centive it to buy these new kinds of products. >> when people are already paying for the less efficient way of, say, lighting, and they introduce a more cost-effective way, then you are more likely to make a business out of it. people are already paying, and

you have better product and services. so the solar light is a very good example of that. an tmany companies are growing so rapidly and attracting some venture capital. that means that they see a huge potential in this market. >> kopernik is calling on companies for technology ideas through the internet and at workshops. recently many more firms have come to him to inquire about ways to link their businesses and support for developing country. >> japanese market is rinkg, and the european market, u.s. market is all shrinking. so the companies are struggling to make a profit, and if you look at the other side, the other part of the world,

asian economies are growing sop rap so rapidly. many look at the emerging market as new opportunities and new market for them. the big picture is to reduce the poverty and then all the challenges associated with the poverty more effectively by engaging really more players. we hope to have more creative solutions with which we can jointly solve the problems more effectively. >> he says kopernik has helped more than 60,000 people in 11 countries in the two years since it was set up. hoan o illegal residents in the united states have their hopes up that they may soon be allowed to stay in the country. the u.s. government has started accepting online applications

for temporary resident status from young, illegal immigrants. president barack obama issued an executive order in june authorizing the program. it will give two-year visa status and work permits to eligible young people. applicants must be age 30 or under with no criminal record and have lived in the united states for at least five years afte entering at the age of 16 or younger. they must also be high school students or graduates. young hopefuls have been crowding seminars in new york to get information on the procedure from immigration and municipal officials. >> think for students that don't have any status in this country, that don't have work authorization, this is something we've wanted for a really long time. >> obama pledged to allow illegal immigrants access to u.s. citizenship during his 2008 presidential campaign, but the bill was voted down by the republicans and scrapped. the program is expected to

become a major issue in the current presidential election campaign. republicans have condemned the program saying it will help increase the number of illegal immigrants. u.n. secretary-general says the united nations will withdraw its peacekeepers from east timor by december. he said he's confident with the security situation in the country. he made the remark in a meeting with the president in the capital. he praised the nation's trouble-free presidential and parliamentary elections earlier this year. it became independent in 2002. u.n. peacekeepers pulled out in 2005 but returned in 2006 following a series of riots by discharged soldiers. several hundred international peacekeepers have been in the country ever since maintaining security and training east timor's police force. the u.n. mission is expected to end by december as scheduled now that he's officlly announced

the withawal. piece rns from hiroshima has a permanent place in england. people from japan and britain took part in the unveiling ceremony. the 1.2 meter tall circular cone monument is called the hiroshima memorial stone. a chunk of paving from hiroshima sits on top. a british ngo requested the stone from the city. japan's ambassador to britain said it will serve as a reminder of post-war reconciliation. th said it represents the ever-green friendship between the two countries. strong anti-japanese feelings linger among some british veterans, but one old soldier welcomed the monument. >> this is now part of us in england. it's part of our heritage, and people will come here and see it and remember so that we can think of it in positive terms.

that's all, really. >> the ceremony was a mix of japanese chants and traditional british hymns and prayers. a fashion trend born in japan is catching on abroad. it's inspired by schoolgirls and the uniforms they wear. the image is iconic in films, tv and comic books. it's seen on the street and runway. if you think school uniforms restrict fashion freedom, this report might make you think again. here's nhk world rena nakano. >> these girls look like they're on their way to class. they're wearing school uniforms, but it's not a weekday. it's saturday. is this your school uniform? >> it's a pretend uniform. >> translator: i'm not wearing

the one for school. >> translator: this is something i picked out on my own. >> these pretend uniforms have no affiliation with anytic particular school. it's functional clothing that's fashionable. they put their own twist on tradition, wearing the outfits on weekends or to go out. anna picked up on the trend. the high school senior says it's much more fashionable than her other option. >> translator: my actual school uniform is not very cute, so i wanted to wear all the styles. >> this is her mandatory school uniform. it includes a long skirt, tie and sweater vest. compare that to the pretend uniform wardrobe she's built up by trading with friends and buying online. she's collected more than 10 pieces, allowing her to create different combinations by mixing and matching.

>> translator: i fold it like this. >> she rolls her skirt five times, brings down her cardigan. >> translator: and i'm done. >> the school uniform fashion trend started small, but it's growing. now new businesses like this one are trying to cash in. they're making their clothing to meet the growing demand. the people who run this store used to sell women's clothing only, but sales grew tenfold once they started their own uniform line. >> translator: the customer came in wanting a cuter uniform, so we tailored just one outfit. then she told her friends, and by word of mouth it spread to two, three, four customers and so on. >> designers followed requests from schoolgirls when they crafted their latest line. the girls find inspiration from magazines, popular music groups,

and cartoon characters. >> within these boundaries how far can i push it? how original can i be? how expressive can i be? uniforms become a way for schoolgirls to show -- to kind of show off their own originality and their own cuteness or confidence or their own strength even. >> now the world wants to get in on the seifuku trend. they have created english websites to indicator to the growing number of foreign customers. they took the fashion line from the streets to the runways in shengyang, china. >> translator: we are proud that the fashion came out of japan. it's trendy and cute. i hope it spreads to the world. >> it's a trend this high school senior will continue to follow, but only for the near future.

>> translator: i only get three years for my high school experience. i want to show everyone i'm a schoolgirl. that's why i wear this every day. >> many believe it's a symbol of japanese youth, so she will forego pretend uniforms when she graduates and pass them down to her younger friends. she hopes her next generation will experience the lifestyle and carry on the tradition. nhk world, tokyo. people in the japane fashionndusy believe the word seifuku will become part of the global vocabulary like sushi, karaoke and animae have. myanmar as a diverse climate rich in trees and plants. for botanists it's the final

frontier. foreign researchers have received permission to go and explore. we joined their field trip. >> the research extension took place at natma town national park. more than 3,000 meters at sea level, it seems like a promising place to find many unique plants. this purple iris-like plant is a kind of ginger which is found no where else in the world. orchids are also in full bloom at this time of year, the start of rainy season. this is a researcher at the

japanese public botanical garden. with permission from the myanmar government, she has spent the last 18 years looking for medicinal plants in the national park. >> translator: i'm always thrilled by new findings. that's why i love working here. this is myanmar ginseng. look, the leaves are split like your fingers. >> myanmar is abundant with plants that have potential as medicinal ingredients. discovered just five years ago, myanmar ginseng contains more healthy ingredients than it's better-known korean counterpart. plants that could have properties to lighten skin or

prevent bad breath have also been found. they have collected as many as 15,000 specimens from which they have identified 30 new plant species. but the researchers' eorts are hampered by current looters. local rangers say many plants have nearly gone extinct in the past decade due to illegal activities. >> translator: due to the lack of manpower, we can't protect the natural vegetation. >> she is also worried that as myanmar continues its democratization and international economy development, more and more plant researchers could be lost.

>> translator: once lost, plant resources can't be restored. i fear a situation where plants vanish before their true value has been discovered. >> myanmar's best plants have been hidden from the world for yours. now the challenge is to speed up their study in order to preserve this invaluable natural resource. nhk world, west myanmar. people in south korea and parts of northern japan are dealing with heavy rain. will the weather clear up soon? sai joins us with the latest. >> well, things will turn drier tomorrow, but heavy rain will likely continue throughout the

day because long frontal line is stretching over south korea and northern japan. heavy rain, thundershowers and gusty winds are occurring, and there's a possibility of tornadoes as well as hail. it has been raining in south korea over the past 24 hours. the rainfall total could reach 400 millimeters as we head into tomorrow. northern japan is expecting to see an additional 100 millimeters or more than 100 millimeters over the next 24 hours. flooding and landslides are highly likely across these regions, and tomorrow, as i said, things will turn a ltle bit drier, but ample moisture will continue to flow in so unstable weather will continue into tomorrow. down towards the south yesterday the tropical storm made landfall in luzon and produced drenching rain and gusty wind. it's upgratded into a severe tropical storm and located over

the south china sea. it looks like it will head grudon province. once it makes landfall it will quicy weaken and headed for northern vietnam. in terms of rainfall, about 200 to 250 millimeters is likely to hit the province from tomorrow. so very heavy rain is in the cars here, and winds could exceed 90 kilometers per hour. very stormy conditions are in the forecast from tomorrow. we'll keep you posted on this storm's progress. as for the highs, a big dome of high pressure is keeping things dry and hot in central and eastern china reaching the 40-degree mark and 35 in shanghai. getting up to 34 in tokyo with sunny skies today. heading into the americas, a slow-moving low pressure system has been dumping quite an amount of rain across the east coast. it looks like heavy rain is

pounding areas like new york city as well as washington, d.c. the system will slowly make its way towards the east, so things will get quite drier across most of the u.s. back behind it mostly dry, and then we have anoth strong low pressure system swinging through ontario and the central portion of the u.s. we have an area of severe weather in the upper midwestern states, and that will move towards the southeast as we head into thursday. out west mostly dry, and we've got heat warnings and advisories in place mainly in the pacific northwest. highs are expected to be 34 degrees in seattle and above-average temperatures continue into your weekend. vancouver reaching 27 degrees, sunny skies, and out towards the east 32 in washington, d.c. and 30 in new york. sunny weather should come back on your thursday. here's your extended forecast.

that's all for this edition of "newsline." do stay with us.

captioning sponsored by macneil/lehrer productions >> ifill: the presidential campaigns are hurling harsh new charges at one another using words like "unhinged" and "hatred." good evening, i'm gwen ifill. >> woodruff: and i'm judy woodruff. on the "newshour" tonight, we assess the escalating rhetoric as the tone of the race reaches new lows. >> ifill: and we head to northern virginia, where a different sort of pitched battle is underway for voters. the prize: undecided suburban women.